Inner Space and Outer Thoughts: Speculative Fiction From Caltech and JPL Authors

by TechLit

Fact ignites fiction in this first-of-its-kind anthology of speculative tales by Caltech and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientists, engineers, technologists, and students. Experts at the frontiers of their fields, along with renowned Caltech alumni such as David Brin, S. B. Divya, and Larry Niven, present stories about alien astrobiologists, AI parenthood, a quest to preserve our histories beyond the heat death of the universe, a heist to steal engineering secrets from an ancient monk-scientist, the recovery of a long-lost phase of the human life cycle, the demise of Earth’s first intelligent species—billions of years before the rise of humanity, and much more!

Genres: Anthologies, Science Fiction

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2023

About the author

TechLit is the official creative writing club of the Caltech and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) community, founded in 2017.

Reviews

[Salvador Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a wide variety of short stories. Some dealt with outer space, others dealt with Black Mirror like alternate realities, and some dealt with the existential crises of academia. They all gave you much to think about considering these alternate worlds. I enjoyed the dread that various stories dealt with considering the vastness of space and time, and our finite understanding, technology, reach, and lifespan.

The only downsides of this book are that some of these short stories created very interesting worlds that were sadly not explored in depth because the stories are meant to be short one-offs. It would have been cool to see some of these worlds or concepts explored more in a longer story!

Nonetheless, there is something for everybody in this collection. The stories are short enough that you could read one a night before going to bed. I recommend it!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collection of stories which I found to be highly accessible as a casual science fiction reader. I especially appreciated the variety of scientific ideas which underpinned engaging fictional imaginings throughout the collection. I'd recommend "Inner Space and Outer Thoughts" to readers with anything from a casual to an avid interest in science fiction.

[Theo Nosti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thirteen, and this book was awesome. It not only delivers espionage, action, but also gives you a lot to think about, like where humanity is going and what we could do. I especially liked the story about pods carrying information to pass on after the heat death of our universe. 10/10

[Jieyu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Part IV when I wrote this review:

It has been an overall positive experience reading this collection. This sci-fi anthology is a joint attempt by a community Caltech and JPL researchers to envision futures out of the fields of their knowledge. Every story develops in their own way a thought-provoking hypothesis about what science could bring us. Many stories answer long-lasting “how-to” questions with bold but compelling theories (e.g. “Chrysalis”), pose the ethical challenges that arise from technology advancement (e.g. “It’s Not a Date Without Data”), and point out in a whimsical tone the everyday dilemmas that researchers must face (e.g. “Abstracts from Another Now”, “A Model Monster”). A few short pieces do not have typical plots of ups and downs in a story, but still completely portrays a possible future world with just a few strokes (e.g. “Brain Bridging”).

On the other hand, I believe that behind every truly resonating story lies humanity. A story with advanced technology should be accompanied by liberal and open perspectives, and evoke thoughts from the readers about possibilities that have never came to their minds. I’m taking one star off because of some pieces that fail to develop plots or characters with a deeper meaning beyond the surface. It is a slight disappointment to find a cliche romance featuring a helpless female waiting for male recognition despite being a brilliant scientist herself, and an utmost discomfort to see political references to a country of whose culture the author only has stereotypical understanding.

Despite that, I would still recommend this book to avid sci-fi or Caltech-affiliated/-curious readers. This is another hallmark of creativity from the Caltech community.

[Humphrey Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a pretty deep and cerebral collection of fascinating stories, which is what you would expect from Caltech alumni. Of course the David Brin and Larry Niven stories are top notch, and the other ones are too. It's broken up into 5 sections: The Science of Life and the Life of Science; Inner Space (which deals with mind, memory, human machine interactions, and AI); Life After Tech (which covers ground from near-term implications of technology to eschatology); Through the Turtle Pond (making a reference to a Caltech pond and "Alice in Wonderland fantasy", if Lewis Carroll had gone to Caltech); and Outer Thoughts (which presents more traditional "Analog" type SciFi).
Although it's pretty high tech, I think this will be accessible and enjoyable to a broader audience than just the geek community. It's definitely not fluff, though.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of stories that approach sci-fi from some new, often science-heavy angles. I enjoyed the stories that described imagined futures for bioengineering and artificial intelligence, and as a researcher I also appreciated the stories that explored the academic process of discovery.

Unfortunately, overall this collection was not for me. While I thought most of the plots were interesting, in many of the stories I wished for more character development and world building around the central premise. Obviously this is what makes short story writing so hard! But it distinguishes some of my favorite short story collections.

Still, it is cool to see a collection like this coming from the Caltech and JPL community. I would recommend the book to readers who are interested in seeing how cutting-edge science is inspiring imaginative new sci-fi.

[José · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by California Institute of Technology Alumni, and it is divided into five sections with a variety of short stories that can be read in a sitting! The sections are:

1. The Science of Life and the Life of Science
2. Inner Space
3. Life After Tech
4. Through the Turtle Pond, which is a reference to one of Caltech's most famous places
5. Outer Thoughts

Do not hesitate to try if you are afraid of the level of science content! It is accessible to anyone interested in science! And as the stories are short, they obviously lack depth, but they are still interesting and full of authors' notes that relate to real work-life!

[Falbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. And what a spectacular idea for a compilation. I highly recommend this as it puts the 'science' first and foremost in 'science-fiction'. Brilliant.

[Addo99 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since this collection is made of many authors of all levels of experience, there is a wide range of quality. There are some big names, like Niven and Brin. I've read the Niven stories before.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great anthology. There are some brilliant and thought-provoking stories in here, and I enjoyed every piece.